Fin vibration dampener



F. s.` sHawjN 2,455,708

FIN VIBRATION DAMPENER Filed Feb. 27. 1947 INVENTOR FREDERICK E. SHERWIN.

ATTORN EY Patented Dec. 7, 1948 FIN VIBBATION DAMPENER Frederick S. Sherwin, Fair Lawn, N. J., assignor to Wright Aeronautical Corporation, a corporation of New York 'Application February 27, 1947, Serial No. 731,282

9 Claims.

This invention relates to means i'or damping vibrations of the cooling fins of a heat radiating body and is more particularly directed to a fln vibration damping means which requires no machining or special fabrication of the fins.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved method oi' inhibiting vibration of the heat exchange fins projecting from a body to be heated or cooled by the passage of a heat exchange fluid between the ilns. A further object of the invention comprises the provision of a fin vibration damping construction in which rubber-like means is disposed between the fins to inhibit their relative vibration. Specifically, the invention comprises a member of rubber-like material extending between the fins together with means for clamping said member in position on the fins by squeezing said material against the adjacent fins.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the annexed detailed description in connection with the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a body having a plurality of heat exchange fins projecting therefrom and provided with fln vibration damping means embodying the invention, said figure being taken along line I-I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view oi' a portion oi the iin brace member;

Figure 4 is an end view of the line brace clamp prior to insertion of the rubber-like iin brace member;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 5 with the clamp spread to facilitate insertion of the rubber-like n brace member; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 2 but, of a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to Figures l to 6, a body I0, which may comprise a cylinder or cylinder head of an internal combustion engine, is provided with heat exchange iins I2 projecting therefrom and between which cooling air is adapted to flow. In order to dampenv vibrations of said fins during engine operation, there is provided a fin brace member I4 of rubber-like material and of approximately circular cross section. One side of the ybrace member I4 is provided with flat spaced slots I 6 within which the fins I2 are adapted to be received as illustrated whereby said brace member is provided with flat projections I8 arranged to be received between the fins I2.

A clamp member is arranged for disposivtion about the brace member I4 prior to mounting the brace member on the fins I2. The clamping member, preferably, is fabricated from flexible sheet metal material into a split tubular structure which may be spread, as illustrated in Figure 6, to facilitate insertion of the brace member I4. The side of the clamp 20 disposed opposite its split is slotted similar to said brace member to receive the fins therebetween. In this way. the clamp member in effect provides straps 22 arranged to embrace the projections I 8 of said brace member. An elongate backing plate 23 is shaped to i'lt the outer surface of the brace member I4 and is assembled between the outer surface of the brace member I4 and the split ends of the clamp member 20, said plate bridging substantially the entire width of the brace member I4.

After the brace member I4, backing plate 23 'and clamp 20 are assembled with the straps 22 embracing the projections I8, the assembly is mounted on the fins by inserting the fiat projections I8 and their embracing bands 22 between the fins. Preferably, the fins extend to the bottom of the slots I6 in the brace member I4. The split ends ci the clamp 20 are provided with 1ongitudinally extending tabs 24 and 26 which are pulled together and lap jointed as illustrated in Figure 2' whereby the straps 22 compress the brace member projections I8 and squeeze the rubberlike material of these projections I8 tightly against the side walls of the adjacent fins I2. The plate 23 protects the outer surface of the brace member I4 during said lap jointing operation and also permits transmission of clamping pressure to the straps 22.

With the aforedescribed construction, when the brace members I4 are mounted on the fins in the manner described, they effectively dampen any relative vibration of the fins. The brace members can be mounted on the fins Without machining, peening or in any way changing the structure of the fins. In addition, each brace member can be assembled without damaging the fins. Also, the construction is such that each brace member can be mounted at most any location on the fins provided the outer periphery of the ns is fairly uniform. Obviously, any number of brace members I4 may be secured to a particular group of ns to dampen their vibrations.

Figure 6 illustrates a slightly modified form of the invention. As illustrated in Figure 6, the fins 30 are provided with iin brace members 32 identical with previously described iin brace members I4. Each iin brace member 32 is provided with a clamp member 34 which, as illustrated, has been modified from the clamp members 20 previously described in order to permit air deilector members 36 to be supported by adjacent clamp members 34. To this end, the clamp members 34 have longitudinally extending tabs 38 and 40 along their split edges which are arranged to extend through slots 42 in an air defiector member 36 and these tabs are bent over the adiacent surface of the member 36 as illustrated, so as to comadomos brace member projections between the Also as in Figures ibacking plates il are disposed between the outer surface of each brace member 32 and the split ends of their associated clamp members 3l.

The air deiector members 36 are sheet-like members disposed along and adjacent the outer periphery of the ns Bil. Accordingly, in the oase of an air cooled engine cylinder, the deector members 3B would be disposed on two sides of the cylinder leaving an inlet and an out let opening therebetween for the engine cooling air to enter and leave the spaces between the ns as is conventional practice. In this way, the dei'lector members 38 help to confine the cooling fluid to the spaces between fins.

While I have described my invention in detail in its present preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after undoJ standing my invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. li aim press the iins 30j in the appended claims to cover all such modihcations.

I claim as my invention:

l. Means for damping vibrations of heat exchange fins projecting from a body, said means comprising an elongate member having spaced proj actions of rubber-like material extending from one side of said member for reception between said fins, and a clamp arranged to be disposed about said member and having strap-like portions embracing said projections, said clamp with its strap-like portions being arranged to squeeze said projections laterally into engagement with adjacent fins.

2. Means for damping vibrations ci heat ex= change iins projecting from a body, said means comprising a member made of rubber-lilre material having projections extending therefrom for reception between said hns, a clamp arranged to be disposed about said member and having strap-like portions embracing said projections, said clamp with its strap-like portions being ar= ranged to clamp said rubber-dike member therewithinto squeeze said projections laterally into engagement with adjacent fins.

3. Means for damping vibrations oi heat exchange fins projecting from a body, said means comprising an elongate member of rubber-like material having one side provided with a series oi spaced slots to form spaced dat projections adapted to be received between said dns, a clamp arranged to be disposed about said member and having strap-like portions embracing said pro jections, said clamp with its strap-like portions being arranged to clamp said rubber-like member therewithin to squeeze said projections laterally into engagement with adjacent hns.

4. Means for damping vibrations or heat ex change fins projecting from a body, said means comprising an elongate member oi rubber-like material having one side provided with a series of fiat spaced projections adapted to be received between said fins, and a split clamp arranged to be disposed about said member and having straplike portions embracing said projections, said split clamp being arranged to be drawn tightly about said member to squeeze said projections laterally into engagement with adjacent ins.

5. Means for damping vibrations of heat ex change fins projecting from a body, said means comprising an elongate member of rubber-like material having vone side provided with a series of hat spaced projections adapted to fbe received between said tins. and a split clamp of sheet-like material disposed about said member land having strap-like portions embracing said projections, said split clamp lbeing adapted to be drawn tightly about said rubber-like member to squeeze said projections laterally into engagement with adjacent fins.

6. Means for damping vibrations of heat exchange tins projecting from a body, said means comprising a member made `of rubber-like material having one side provided with a series of ilat spaced projections adapted to be received between said tins, and a split clamp disposed about said Imember, said split clamp having strap-like portions embracing said projections and having tabs extending -al-ong its split edges, said clamp being adapted -to be drawn about said member by pulling and securing together its said tabs thereby squeezing said projections laterally into engagement with adjacent fins.

7. Means for damping vibrations of heat exchange ilns projecting from a body, said means comprising an elongate member of rubber-like material having one iside provided with a series of flat spaced projections adapted to ybe received between said fins, a split clamp oi sheet-like material disposed about said member and having strap-like portions embracing said projections. and an elongate plate member disposed between the outer surface oisaid rubber-like member and the split ends of said clamp, said split clamp being f adapted to be drawn tightly about said rubberlike member and plate member .to squeeze said projections laterally into engagement with adjacent hns.

8. In combination with a body having a plurality of heat exchange fins projecting therefrom, a plurality of elongate members of rubber-:like material each having flat spaced projections on one side adapted yto be received between said fins, a clamp disposed about each member and having strap-like por-tions embracing said Iprojections, said members and their associated clamps being disposed on said iins in spaced relation with said clamps tightly drawn about their members to squeeze said projections laterally into engagement with 4adjacent ilns, and an air deflector member secured to a pair of said clamps and extending across the outer ends oi said fins between said pair oi' clamps.

9. Means for damping vibrations of heat exchange fins projecting from a body, said means REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,253,025 Fedden et al Aug. i9, 1941 2,298,363 Du Bois et al Mar. 1.2, 1946 

